Residents Eager to See Progress at Site of Demolished Apartment Complex

Residents Eager to See Progress at Site of Demolished Apartment Complex

After nearly 30 years, Whitehaven residents are thrilled a troubled apartment complex has been demolished, but two months later there's just a big, vacant lot.

MEMPHIS, TN (localmemphis.com) - After nearly 30 years, Whitehaven residents are thrilled a troubled apartment complex has been demolished. But two months later, there's just a big vacant lot. Now neighbors want city leaders to hear their ideas for the property.

Jane Mills goes way back. She's been living in Whitehaven for 77 years on McCorkle Road. She lives down the street from the apartment complex, formerly called Park Place Apartments. Mills remembers when the complex was built. It sat vacant for years and it was a breeding ground for all sorts of crime

"Before the apartment complex, there were homes and before that it was a pasture," said Mills.

On May 22, 2013, the city finally demolished it. Now it is a huge vacant lot, with mostly cement and some weeds.

"It's very quiet, very quiet," said neighbor Alfred Robertson. "You don't see nothin' no more."

Neighbors have a few ideas of what should be built now.

"No more apartments, no more apartments! No, no, no! I feel they should put a doctor's office or something like that, maybe an old folk's home," said Robertson.

"I think it would be nice if they put more apartments there since this is a residential area," said another neighbor, Hester Jones.

Mills, on the other hand, she wants it like the good old days before the apartment complex, with friendly neighbors and more homes.

"I don't think apartments would be the best thing because we had trouble down there all the time with them. I think just some homes," said Mills.

Mills and her neighbors have no idea what's going to happen next but they're definitely enjoying the peace and quiet in the neighborhood.

It cost half a million dollars to demolish that apartment complex. The owner is expected to foot the bill. We contacted the city to find out if the owner has paid and what's happening to that space now; the city told us they're "looking into it."

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